Day 18 Nairn to Crask Inn

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Well the ride is certainly drawing to its finale soon and today had some of, if not the best, cycling of the whole journey. Today was a long and late one though as we think we covered between 90 and a 100 miles and didnt arrive at our pub/hotel until about 10.15pm.

First though we had a look round Nairn the b&b people were right , it is a good town with a good beach and everything -all that chatting and looking though meant we didn't get on the road until about 10.45am. Straight into Inverness - which again looked good but from there 85 miles to Crask Inn - so some serious riding to do.

This we did and did and did and about 7.30pm had a rest in a small town called Kilgay. Around here the towns were all small and it all felt very isolated and we were deifintely getting off the beaten track . The weather was excellent though (after raining earlier as we came through Dingwall and its surround). And the lochs we went past were glass like in their appearance and calmness. Absolutely lovely.



But the best part of the ride happened about 8pm we arrived at the A836 thinking it would be a typical A road with traffic etc - but as it turned into the A836 it became a 1 tack road with occasional passing places and over the next 2 hours I think 3 cars passed us - in either direction. My words cannot do this stretch justice and me and Neil were riding along in silence taking it all in. Sheep were either side of the road, the sun was sort of setting but not really, streams either followed the road or zig zagged across it. All too good - on top of this somehow they had a phone signal here so I was cycling talking to the family at home who were following the route on Google earth !! Amazing.

The road was only matched by the place we were staying in - the Crask Inn - I think somewhere I heard it was unique and it was, the welcome was amazing. We walked in at 10.15pm and there was 1 other person in the bar reading. We had a beer at the bar and then were taken through to the dining room which was like a train dining car with white table clothes etc. We had some lovely food and afters and then another beer and a whisky. All in an old fashioned place that had no TV and was like something from the 1940's - all on top of which we were so pleased to be there. Just excellent.

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